Jump to content

Lyichir

Eurobricks Grand Dukes
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    6,822

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Lyichir

  1. Lyichir
    I vaguely remember reading that it was planned as a ONE-wave theme but was extended both because of decent sales and because it was viewed as a good space in which to test the "app brick" concept. Don't quote me on that, though. I'll also say that "typical two-year action theme" might not be a great phrase to use because I also think I remember reading that Atlantis was planned as a single-year theme and was extended due to much stronger sales than expected. That leaves, what, Power Miners as the archetypical "two-year" theme? Not enough of a precedent to interpret a trend from, at any rate.
  2. Lyichir
    I believe I remember seeing a designer refer to it as "post-space"—occurring chronologically after space themes like Galaxy Squad (as evidenced by the older Solomon Blaze from that theme) and having sci-fi technology like that seen in space themes despite not actually taking place IN space. Nexo Knights occupies this same sort of space (pardon the pun) as a space-inspired theme that doesn't actually leave the planet. Even Alien Conquest is similar, despite being accepted more widely as a space theme, since while it featured invaders from space the setting never actually left Earth. And from there it's not a huge leap to themes like Mars Mission or Rock Raiders, that took place entirely on planets other than Earth despite not directly featuring off-planet action. Because of this wide spectrum of "space themes", I wouldn't necessarily consider space as a theme to be over and done with. Even if the Star Wars license specifically forbids other themes that with interplanetary or interstellar settings (and I seriously doubt it's THAT granular in terms of what sorts of competing themes are not allowed), I think space is a flexible enough theme to get around that, and it's arguably already been doing so.
  3. Lyichir
    No, they're not. The Samurai X has completely different printing from any other Samurai X figures (double-sided head, torso, and legs), as do the Sky Pirates (heads, torsos, and the printed set of legs). If you directly compare them to other such figs the differences are pretty clearly apparent. Only the unprinted parts (the pegleg, Samurai X's helmet and armor, Zane's headwrap, and the weapons are reused). And even then the headgear for the two pirates are unique recolors.
  4. Lyichir
    That's... not really true at all. All four figures in that pack are unique—none of the printed parts in the set are reused from other figures. The same applies to last year's Ninjago figure pack, which included three brand-new figures, two of which were characters from the show who had never appeared in sets and one of which was a new outfit for Skylor.
  5. Lyichir
    Honestly I'd prefer stickers (or maybe prints) anyway, since it'd be weird to have the same exact series of hieroglyphs repeated over and over. In general the detail on that part also feels not particularly Lego-like—it reminds me more of the very naturalistic parts McFarlane's brick system uses (moreso than more geometric detail bricks like palisade bricks or masonry bricks).
  6. Lyichir
    Beyond just the tan parts, there are an amazing array of new parts in the set, ranging from cones that can be used for roofs (not just the one already appearing in Disney Princess but also an "intermediate" cone panel that fits between the 4x8x6 half-cone and the 2x2x2 cone), slopes (a brand-new 1x1 "double slope"), accessories (Hagrid's lantern looks great and could find great use in historic builds, and candles are plenty useful as well) and windows (a new window "glass" piece for the 1x2x2 window frame that matches the diagonal bars used for the1x2x2 2/3 arched window frame). All in all a lot more new stuff to work with than I would have expected.
  7. Lyichir
    Hey, Professor X would probably be fine with a theme like this as long as it didn't feature derogatory stereotypes of mutants.
  8. Lyichir
    Just built Noctura's Tower yesterday! Such an amazing set despite its relatively small size. The other day I was also trying to come up with a custom attachment for Noctura's Tower on LDD (considering no such attachment seems to be forthcoming in the summer wave), and I realized that those attachment points on the sides might merely be to attach multiple copies of the tower together. If you arrange four copies of the set at 90° angles, it forms a roughly diamond-shaped fort with all four elemental icons on each diagonal wall.
  9. Lyichir
    I think there are a number of challenges that sort of theme presents. Firstly, if you use existing literary or mythological characters, you get into an issue where many myths and literary works are less of a brand fit as a whole than they would first appear. Greek myths and Arthurian legend, for instance, have quite a few elements that are less kid-friendly than most of Lego's output. Additionally, even public domain characters that AREN'T inappropriate for children might become such with a high-profile adaptation (this risk is amplified most with less well-known characters, since there's more chance of a single new adaptation's take on the character becoming the culturally dominant take). This is probably a significant part of why Lego tends to opt for original characters (or completely unnamed characters in the case of some historic themes). It eliminates almost all such risk by focusing on characters wholly created and owned under Lego's watchful eye. Secondly, cohesion becomes an issue if you're drawing from such a wide range of subject matter. A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen-type theme gets into some of the issues that Steampunk has—a lot of kids will not be familiar with the source material, characters, or even archetypes. And without that, it can become much harder to tie the figures and sets together in a way that they will make sense to the target audience as a group. A theme like Monster Fighters, with a narrower focus, is a safer bet—kids are well aware of the sort of monster archetypes that theme used and it's easy to see enough commonality to view them as a "faction" of sorts (especially framed in opposition to a completely original cast of monster hunters).
  10. Lyichir
    I mean, Nexo wasn't dying when they were marketing it most heavily. All "big bang" themes enjoy heavy marketing in their first year (much more than is generally afforded to new themes. If anything, a lot of that marketing tends to be withdrawn in the final wave or two once the "writing is on the wall". You can see that with Nexo Knights already, with fewer books and less of an overall marketing push in this third and final year. One issue with this approach from a fan perspective (though not necessarily one that has a major impact on sales) is that it tends to result in themes that start with a bang and end with a whimper, which narratively can be less satisfying than a sort of "grand finale". This can be seen in earlier "Big Bang" themes like Exo-Force (which didn't really get any story conclusion at all), Bionicle G1 ( the Ur-"Big Bang" theme, that only got a small range of diminutive tribute sets in its final wave) and arguably Chima (which ended in a standalone holiday special, with the final wave of sets based on pre-existing story material). The good news is that, set-wise at least, Nexo Knights—and if it is truly ending this year, Elves—so far seem to be avoiding that, with Nexo Knights featuring gold-clad sets depicting an epic final battle between the digital forces of Merlok and Monstrox, and Elves featuring a similarly epic face-off between forces of light and dark magic.
  11. Lyichir
    It's not like Lego has any more capability of going "all out" with this wave than they would with any other. Dual molding in particular requires specialized equipment that makes up a much smaller portion of Lego's production line than the general-use molding machines that churn out single-color parts. Additionally, extra processes like additional printing and dual molding add extra production time compared to unprinted or single-molded parts, meaning the production output is lower—a factor that might be unacceptable for the production of the smaller sets that have to satisfy a much higher demand. Lego's more limited use of these sorts of techniques in smaller sets isn't just a matter of being stingy or trying to incentivize bigger purchases—there's a hard limit on the production resources that are available to them at any given time, and as such newer production techniques that use more specialized equipment are often reserved for sets that are produced in lower quantities like the biggest and most expensive sets.
  12. Lyichir
    I think the way you phrase that ascribes a certain level of intentionality to it that isn't necessarily there—Adventurers started several years before Lego even started licensing movie franchises at all, and a great many years before they'd wind up doing Indiana Jones. Still, an original sci-fi rescue theme could be pretty cool.
  13. Lyichir
    The Book of Monstrox was never published in the U.S., and as far as I'm aware only the first book in the Knights Academy chapter book series for young readers was published at all. There may have been others as well.
  14. Lyichir
    Not likely. Exclusive figs are pretty rare in polybags in general, and that goes double for a theme that's on the way out (since those kinds of promos mostly exist to promote interest in a theme, a losing battle for a theme that's waning in popularity). The same goes for other sorts of sources for one-off figs, like books or DVDs. Several Nexo Knights books have already been cancelled either in certain regions or in general, so it's unrealistic to expect any more guidebooks that might come with an exclusive fig. And while DVDs occasionally include a minifigure, it's usually for bigger movies or licensed specials rather than a theme like Nexo Knights.
  15. Lyichir
    Haha, yes! I watched Polygon's two streams of it and greatly enjoyed it, and it did get me in a Lego Pirates sort of mood. An open-world Lego Pirates game like that could be pretty cool (probably not an MMO, though, since Lego's had poor luck with those). On another note, what would everyone here think of the possibility of a spinoff theme focused on Metalbeard, like the upcoming Unikitty sets based on the cartoons? A theme like that would probably feature Metalbeard's more steampunk-inspired motifs rather than traditional pirates... and could be even zanier than that. Maybe even including a wide range of different sorts of pirate captain from space pirates to sky pirates to digital music pirates. But it could still be pretty cool, and potentially give the Pirates theme a new lease on life!
  16. Lyichir
    I think the thing that makes an entire theme like that less likely (though not impossible) is that retrofuturism is a somewhat high-concept aesthetic, much like Steampunk. Kids lack a lot of the context to be able to recognize the source of some of those ideas and motifs, so if Lego wanted to make it appeal to them they would probably have to rely at least somewhat on establishing some other context for it that eases them in. Take the Ninjago Sky Pirates wave, for example—kids may not have a great grasp of Victorian-era steam-powered technology, but they know Pirates and the sorts of motifs that are associated with them (treasure chests, guns, anchors, etc.), and they certainly have had enough time to get to know Ninjago (which itself already combines Asian motifs with modern and futuristic tech). So combining these concepts kids do understand creates something that approximates steampunk, without the concept sailing right over their heads. As for Retrofuturism... well, we've already sort of seen that aesthetic in some themes (look at the B-movie-esque alien ships in Alien Conquest). But classic space isn't just retrofuturism, but a very particular sense of it that was shaped by early spacecraft, early sci-fi, and last but certainly not least, the aesthetic and limitations of the Lego System as it existed in that particular point in time. So on a broader scale, retrofuturist aesthetics could very well arise in some future set or theme... but expecting a whole theme that adheres to the specific sorts of design philosophy, aesthetic, or subject matter of what we call "classic space" is probably a good deal less likely, save for the sort of one-off references in things like the Exo Suit or Lego Movie. I also apologize in advance for my train of thought leading quite a ways from the subject of Castle specifically...
  17. Lyichir
    I fail to see how this would work. Don't get me wrong—as a story alone, it works fine within the context of what Nexo Knights has established about its backstory and characters. But as a toyline, it essentially takes the "Nexo" out of Nexo Knights. It's so thoroughly at odds with Nexo Knights' core brand identity that I would be seriously surprised if it caught on with most of Nexo Knights' existing fanbase. People who bought into the theme solely for its characters and story might take an interest. But it'd offer very little appeal to people who were first drawn in by unique sets like the Fortrex that caught their eye. The latter group is most likely much, much larger than the former, and probably tends to buy more of the actual sets than them as well. It just doesn't make sense from a branding perspective to try to turn Nexo Knights as a theme into something it isn't, as opposed to just creating a new Castle theme that can exist as its own entity from square one.
  18. Lyichir
    Nifty! What sort of paints did you use? I bought a big bag of mini-dolls at the last convention I went to with the intent of customizing them, but don't really know where to start...
  19. Lyichir
    Yup. Hope they continue to mix things up with great ideas like that even after Nexo Knights! It's clear evidence of the kind of originality and unique design that results from giving designers a chance to venture out of their comfort zone and experiment with other sorts of subjects and themes.
  20. Lyichir
    You mean the success of Nexo Knights, right? I'd love it if we take the idea that a theme that lasts two and a half years constitutes a failure and nip it in the bud. Sure, perhaps Nexo Knights didn't meet all of its initial expectations. It still lasted about as long as every individual Castle theme from the past two decades (in some cases, longer). And I doubt Lego had any serious expectation that Nexo Knights would have staying power on par with Ninjago, not after Ninjago had become "evergreen" (let alone after its revival had proven to pose a barrier to their similar expectations for Chima). Even at the theme's outset, designers were quite honest about Nexo Knights representing a new, different take on the Castle formula, but not some permanent shift in direction for Lego Castle as a whole. Unfortunately, from my experience, Castle fans seem to lack any sort of patience or perspective, so a three-year period without castle themes that suit their particular, nostalgia-framed tastes (never mind the Elves theme arguably representing a SECOND castle theme during that time period) got interpreted as The End of Castle Forever and Ever.
  21. Lyichir
    Eh, I wouldn't say that... that set was already an exceptionally good value for money and would not really make sense as part of the set (there's nowhere on the ship to store it or other context to justify its inclusion, not even Nya in her civilian garb). This set seems like it'd be a much better fit, especially if it includes Nya in her street clothes (and considering Kai and Lloyd appeared in the regular Ninjago City set in street clothes, Nya appearing again in the docks set seems like not too much of a stretch).
  22. Lyichir
    Yeah, this makes me wonder whether a big part of the "generational gap" between those who prefer open-ended themes and those who prefer a more crafted story might be the advent of the internet. I know a lot of older AFOLs grew up with Lego as a much more isolated, independent activity, with interaction only happening between real-world peers and, once they got older, feeling like they had to hide their interest until the advent of newsgroups where they could finally discover like-minded adult fans with whom they could share their hobby. But while I wasn't necessarily the MOST social kid growing up, I got into the organized fan community at a comparatively early age via the internet—first as an outside observer, using databases like Bricklink and downloading MOC instructions off the internet, and later as an active participant on sites like Brickshelf and BZPower. And that was in the '90s and early 2000s! Today's kids are probably engaging with other fans socially even earlier in life, whether that be with friends on social media, watching their favorite YouTube MOCists and reviewers, or engaging with other fans their age in safe spaces like the Lego message boards or Lego Life app. For kids who engage with Lego not just on an individual level but also a social one, being able to identify with their favorite themes and characters might be that much more important. That said, I don't think that the sort of open-ended play has gone away—as Aanchir and icm can attest, kids can still freely pick and choose how much of the "established" story they want to lean on and how much they simply want to do their own thing.
  23. Lyichir
    I'm not entirely sure those tan parts from Grievous would be a good fit. The challenge of a battle droid, compared to other types of characters, is that it's essentially a skeleton—I don't know if any sorts of existing shells or, for that matter, existing bones would necessarily suffice for all of the droid's limbs.
  24. Lyichir
    I would hope that it might include Nya's motorcycle, since it was conspicuously absent from all the other sets despite having special attention called to it in the movie!
  25. Lyichir
    Honestly I'm not sure which I'd prefer more: another bold take on castle that continues to take the theme in exciting new directions, or a more "traditional" Castle theme that proves how utterly silly it was for everyone to interpret a single non-traditional castle theme as evidence that we'd never ever get a non-futuristic castle theme again. I suppose it doesn't matter—if I learned anything from Nexo Knights, 2013 Castle, Kingdoms, Fantasy Castle, and Knights Kingdom II, it's that it doesn't matter what a castle theme is like, since as long as it's new AFOLs will find a way to complain about it one way or another!
×
×
  • Create New...